The 'X' Factor

摘要

A new concept is gaining momentum in the swirling alphabet soup surrounding the latest advances in building automation and systems interoperability. And, it likely will further revolution- ize how buildings are run, managed, and maintained in today's technology-focused society. The newest player is oBIX, or the open Building Information Xchange. It is an initiative to define Internet standards, such as the programming language XML (Extensible Markup Language) and Web services - automated resources accessed via the Internet using an XML platform - for communications between building systems and enterprise applications. "In short, it is a way to provide an open, secure, network-friendly method to share information between disparate systems, as well as business systems," notes past oBIX Chair Paul Ehrlich, a business development leader at Trane Global Controls and Contracting in St. Paul, MN. oBIX burst to life in April 2003 as the CABA XML/Web Services Guideline Committee, a working group of the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA), based in Toronto. It has rapidly grown and evolved, developing a life unto itself. Those involved in oBIX believe that use of the programming language XML and related Web services are instrumental in enabling interoperability and data sharing within commercial facilities in a secure, reliable way.